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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · leaves · file · mark · present · squash · fall · patient

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. file — a document
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fall — the season
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. present — a gift
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. file — a tool
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rest — what's left
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. mark — a grade
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. fall — to drop
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com